Leave out all the rest
by kasey1939
Summary: When Nimuhe takes over Camelot it's up to Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, Leon, and Giaus to get their home back and Giaus knows just the magic user to help them do it. Or does he.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin sat in his room watching the shadows play across the walls as the sun began to set and thought back, not for the first time, about how he had gotten here. He never meant for any of this to happen, but he had learned long ago that Destiny rarely took into account what people wanted. He thought back to his mother, his village, his friends, his life, and the day it all went up in flames. Cenred had been trying to make peace with Camelot for years and that year he finally had, by allowing Camelot to expand her borders further into his kingdom Ealdor was part of Camelot overnight, only no one had bothered to tell any of the villagers, in any of the villages, that they were now ruled by Uther Pendragon.

When Camelot's forces had descended on the village Merlin had been in the forest to the south and only returned when he noticed the smoke beginning to rise into the sky. Camelot soldiers had come looking for magic users and had found a few, none with any real power, and when they tried to take them back to Camelot for judgment all hell had broken loose. Merlin's best friend Will had died trying to protect his mother Hunith who'd spoken against Uther. He had known none of that when he'd broken free of the tree line that day, all he had known was that his world was on fire. The magic users who hadn't died in the initial assault were taken back to Camelot and (killed) executed there to thunderous applause. After burying his mother and his only friend who'd really been more like a brother he looked around at all the devastation and realized there was nothing left, at least not for him, nothing holding him here but bad memories and the nightmares of fire that were soon to come. With nothing but the clothes on his back and that thought in his mind he wandered away. Away from Uther, away from Cenred, away from the smoldering embers of his past.

He'd wandered for days before he found himself in the Perilous Lands, the lands of the Fisher King. The Fisher Kings lands were a no mans land in between two kingdoms, it sat between Camelot and Essetir and while both coveted it neither could ever hold it. He had been half dead when he found himself in the throne room standing before the skeletal king.

"Ah, boy you are here earlier than expected. Though I see now that things have changed, no matter, all will be set right in the end and maybe… yes maybe this will be better."

Merlin had seen the longing in the old man's eyes and asked the only question he could.

"What do you need?"

"Rest. Peace. Can you give it to me? I cannot find rest until I know my lands will once more be as they were." He could tell that every word, every breathe, cost him more and more of his strength.

"What were they?"

"Safe. A haven for all those who needed it, none were turned away. All were protected. My land was… peace. Will you bring it back?"

"How?"

"Just. Be. Your existence will bring back the haven that was lost. The power, your power, will bring everything back. As long as you draw breathe, as long as your heart is pure, and your actions true those who seek peace here shall find it. Will you help?"

"Yes." To his dying day he would always know there had been no other answer.

"Thank you. Place your hand on the trident and let your power call to the earth. Let the world know there is once more peace to be found."

Five Years Later

Arthur Pendragon fought to stay calm as he rode away from Camelot, it went against everything in his training to flee his kingdom, but his father was right if there was to be hope for Camelot he needed to be free to mobilize the resistance. Nimuhe a known sorceress and enemy of Camelot had taken the castle so effortlessly it would have been laughable had it not been his home that had fallen. The king had stayed behind to give his son and a few others the time needed to escape. Glancing back at his comrades on his heels he fought a grimace. Leon had been the only knight he'd managed to bring with him all others stayed with their king. Other than that he had Morgana, her maid Gwen, and the court physician Giaus, he'd never seen a more pitiful sight. They needed to get beyond Nimuhe's reach and make camp for the night so he could decide what was to be done.

Giaus sat by the fire and debated speaking up. While Arthur wasn't a bad man he shared his fathers hatred of magic and his words would not be taken in the light they were given. The longer he held his silence the more certain he became that he needed to speak. Arthur was a gifted strategist, but he had no knowledge of magic and all he had planned would repel a normal army but would do nothing against a sorceress of Nimuhe's strength.

"Sire?"

"Yes, Giaus." The prince's tone was not friendly but that was to be expected and only quelled the physician momentarily.

"I have a suggestion if I may?"

"Of course, your advice is much welcome." His words were respectful but his tone spoke the truth his words denied. He did not believe Giaus would have anything of use to impart.

"Well, sire, I believe you are overlooking one momentous fact that impacts your plans."

"Oh, really, and what might that be?" He knew he was on thin ice, but he must persevere.

"Nimuhe is a sorceress, sire. So all your plans can be easily undone by her with little effort."

"We've faced sorcerers before, Giaus."

"Yes, sire. However, the magic users you've faced in the past were young, inexperienced, most untrained. Nimuhe survived the purge, she's kept herself hidden all these years, and despite her appearance she is in fact older than I am." He saw the moment his words sank in. Both the prince and his knight exchanged looks of unease.

"What do you suggest?" And here was the tricky part.

"Well sire, the only way to defeat a sorcerer of her power would be with someone of equal or greater power at your side."

"What! You would have me abandon my father's teachings within hours of leaving his side? I thought you were his friend Giaus." Arthurs look of betrayal nearly swayed him from his path, but one fact kept him steadfast.

"Sire, Nimuhe will release the Great Dragon. No army, no matter the size will be able to defeat it."

"My father defeated it once." Now the final blow.

"Yes, sire, he did. With magic."

"I do not believe you my father would never…"

"Oh, he did. There are magic users in the world known as Dragon Lords only they can control the dragons. Not even Nimuhe will be able to control what he does once he is free sire. Back at the start of the purge the dragon lords and dragons themselves were killed. All save one of each we need to find that dragon lord if we wish to have even a prayer of success." With his words still echoing into the night he rose from the fire and began to move towards his patch of grass by the two sleeping women.

"Who is this dragon lord?" The question stopped him for a moment. He answered without looking back.

"His name was Balinor."

**Authors Note : Read and Review let me know what you think! My first story in this fandom so be gentle but truthful please.**


	2. Chapter 2

Morgana didn't understand where they were going. Last night Arthur was all about finding allies within the neighboring kingdoms and taking Camelot back by force and then when she woke this morning that plan had somehow changed. Now they were all following Giaus to a small village within the borders of Camelot looking for one man and no one would tell her why. Not that anyone was really talking to anyone this morning. Arthur and Leon kept giving each other pointed looks and having silent conversations while almost refusing to say anything to poor Giaus. Giaus just kept his eyes straight ahead pretending not to notice Arthur and Leon at all. And she and poor Gwen were bringing up the rear completely in the dark about what was going on and why the plan had just suddenly changed. She didn't know about Gwen but she had had just about enough of it.

"Arthur either tell me where we're going and why or I swear to you Gwen and I will not go a single step farther."

"Morgana..."

"Don't you dare Morgana me in that tone Arthur. Like it or not Gwen and I are a part of this and we deserve to know where we're going and what's going to happen once we get there."

She watched in amusement while he tried to come up with an argument against her logic and as always he failed. She always could talk circles around him. She was sure he would tell them everything now, but it wasn't Arthur who explained. It was Giaus.

"We are going to a little village near the Eastern boarder of Camelot where we hope to find someone to help us find the man we truly need. Back before the purge there was a man by the name of Balinor who lived in Camelot. If we truly want any chance of regaining our home we will need his help."

She knew that was only a partial explanation but she wasn't going to push for more. Giaus seemed unwilling to tell her even that much and she respected the old physician enough not to press for more. For the moment anyhow.

"Very well, thank you Giaus for the explanation. Shall we?"

With that they finally broke through the tree line and they could see the village they'd been searching for since before dawn. Finally, maybe now they could rest?

Arthur could tell the others, mainly Morgana, were relieved when the Village was finally in their line of sight, but it was still a few miles off over rough terrain. He knew better than most that all it would take would be for them to lower their guard because the end was in sight and then something bad would happen. He'd just gotten through telling Morgana to stay closer to the group when movement to his left caught his attention. Turning quickly he found a young woman in her early twenties a few feet from them.

"Oh, hello." Of course Morgana would want to make friends.

She seemed startled to see them but he would not let his guard down. Not after Nimuhe.

"Are you headed to the village?" What else would she be doing here? Really Morgana, the village was the only thing within miles and the woman was on foot.

"Yes, I am, are you?"

"Yes, we are, if you would like you could travel this last bit with us. Safety in numbers."

While part of him wanted to rescind the invitation a larger part couldn't bring himself to leave a woman alone like this. With their horses they would be at the village by dawn if they didn't stop to make camp, mid-day tomorrow if they did, on foot the woman most likely wouldn't reach it until after dark the next day or the next morning if she ran into any trouble.

"That's very kind of you; if you're sure it isn't any trouble."

"No trouble at all you could ride double with Arthur." Thank you Morgana!

He was so busy glaring at Morgana that he didn't notice the woman's gaze lock in on him when, if she was truly a stranger, she shouldn't know which of the men Morgana had been talking about.

"I am Morgana by the way and this is Gwen."

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Mary, Mary Collins."

She could not believe her luck. She'd been trailing the group for days now and finally she'd seen her opening to make contact. She hadn't expected to be invited into their group that would make things just too easy. Others might have seen the fall of Camelot as an end to her vengeance but it wasn't enough. Uther had lost his home but he still had the hope that his son represented and most galling of all, he still had his son. Uther had killed her boy, over nothing, and now for her son to really be at peace Prince Arthur has to die.

Her burning hatred only increased when not one of them recognized her name. They had, all of them, stood there and watched her boy die and then forgotten him. They would pay they had to pay!

Arthur couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with their new travel companion. She never spoke, which could be because she was shy around strangers, but it was more than that. She kept her gaze focused in front of her never glancing around like most people would just staring straight ahead. At times he could swear he heard her muttering to herself and her grip on her skirt would tighten until her knuckles were stark white. Then there was the moment she introduced herself, he could have sworn she was disappointed that they didn't recognize her name. Again not unheard of, many people thought themselves more widely known than they truly were, but there was something about her that was just nudging at the back of his mind. Like maybe he did know that name he just couldn't seem to remember why. Pushing it to the back of his mind he focused on their journey instead.

From where she lay Mary could see everyone. They had made camp shortly after night fell and the men were taking turns standing watch, not that it would do them much good, and she stayed silent and waited for her opening. All the components of her spell needed to be in place before dawn or they would make it to the village and she would miss her chance. She couldn't allow that to happen. Soon Arthur Pendragon would be dead and all of his friends with him. Then Camelot would truly be lost.

As the sun began to rise Arthur moved to wake the others, but he found they just would not wake. Becoming more and more alarmed he began to shake them but they didn't even groan. What was going on? Standing to move back to Morgana and try again he turned to find Mary Collins standing in front of her with a smile on her face and a dagger in her hand. What?

"You truly don't remember me do you young Pendragon? I do admit I look a little different maybe this will help jog your memory."

With the wave of her hand she transformed from beautiful woman in her twenties to a white haired old crone. After the execution of her son just before Camelot fell to Nimuhe she had sworn vengeance on his father, and had promised to kill him. He hadn't thought about her since his home fell, but now he supposed he should have. From the way she'd changed her appearance and was obviously keeping his companions asleep she had magic. Which if he'd learned anything recently that meant he was screwed. Drawing his sword he prepared to fight to the death to protect the few people he had left.

Merlin was just walking by on his way out of one of the villages he visited for news when he felt the pull of magic. Someone was casting near here, and they were using up a lot of energy. If he was smart he knew he would just keep walking and let them be about their business, this was Uther's land the last thing he wanted to do was get caught with someone this careless with their magic, but everyone who knew him knew he wasn't that smart.

Looking through some trees he found... an old woman, a young knight, and a bunch of sleeping people. Only he could stumble onto something this ridiculous. It was obvious, to him anyway, that the woman was keeping the others asleep and was planning the kill the knight. A knight of Camelot no less, if his colors were any indication. This was not good. The way he saw it he had two options, act like he'd never seen them and just let them sort it out themselves (basically let the brave knight die and maybe his companions as well). Or he could step in, save the day, and possibly get arrested. Who was he kidding he knew he only really had one option; he just hoped everything wouldn't get too far out of hand.

"Hi there, you mind telling me what's happening here?"

Both the woman and the knight turned towards him in unison and gave him nearly identical looks of pity the simpleton. That was fine at least he'd gotten their attention which was the point of his greeting. With a muttered word and the glow of his eyes he sent both his sword and her dagger flying away from them. No need for anyone to get stab happy, especially while he was this close to them. Another word had the woman's powers bound and the people around them beginning to wake. One final word had the other knights sword stuck in its sheath. Now that everyone was unarmed and awake they could all just handle this.

Giaus woke to find Arthur facing an old woman who hadn't been there before they fell asleep, a young man with a goofy grin standing between them but a little off to the side and out of arms reach, and everyone else shaking themselves as they attempted to fully wake themselves. One thing was for certain this was not a good thing.

Seeing the two new people in their camp and the absence of Mary, Leon jumped up and grabbed his sword. Or at least he tried to, his weapon seemed to be stuck quickly realizing it was no use trying to dislodge it he quickly stepped up to the side of his prince prepared to defend their group in any way he was able.

Morgana woke up faster than Gwen and knew instantly something was wrong. Grabbing her maid and friend by the hand she dragged her further away from the impending conflict towards the cover of the trees. They were without weapons if the blood began to fly she and Gwen would run into the woods so they wouldn't distract Arthur and Leon with their presence in the fight.

"Who are you?"

The question was directed at Merlin by the blonde knight and he did not appreciate the tone one bit. He knew he would have been smarter to just walk away.

"My name is Merlin and that's a fine way to talk to someone who not only woke your friends, but also disarmed the vicious old lady who was intent on your slow and painful deaths. You're welcome by the way."

"You used magic."

"Oh, you're a slow one aren't you? Of course I used magic you git, how did you expect to wake them? Shake them?"

By the blush that worked its way up the man's face that's most likely what he'd done when he found they wouldn't wake. Oh bless him, he was just so adorable.

"You had no right to interfere sorcerer!"

This from the homicidal granny. Of course she would feel that way and he couldn't really blame her the magic she worked for someone at her level would have taken a great deal of planning and that level of malice usually meant one thing in Camelot. Vengeance.

"Wow, I really should have just let you two kill each other. You're giving me a headache."

"He would not have killed me. I would have paralyzed him before I wounded him mortally then I would have killed his companions in their sleep while he watched helpless as they died before finally succumbing to his wounds and dying himself."

Damn, he had to give her points on this vengeance plan. Cold, vicious, and doable. It was a good plan. Judging by the slight pallor of the others in the small clearing they would not have agreed with him. Time to point out the flaw he supposed.

"Yeah it wouldn't have happened exactly like that. See, you have a very low magic level, you had totems to put everyone into their deep sleep initially, but after that it was your energy keeping them under. By the looks of surprise on their faces once they woke I'm guessing you were also using glamour to hide your true identity, which you would have had to do if this is vengeance like I think it is just so they wouldn't recognize you right off and attack. The glamour was also using energy to sustain its self. Then add onto that a spell to paralyze him which by the looks of him he would have fought, would have taken even more energy. By then you would have been lucky if you still had the energy to stand let alone kill so many people with nothing but that dagger you had. Once you'd stabbed them the first time the sleep spell that wasn't very strong to start with would have been broken by survival instinct and they would have fought back killing you. Then since I'm guessing the older man with the medicine bag is a healer they would have saved the paralyzed man and the only one who would have died today would have been you."

Everyone was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. What like that was hard to figure out? He'd just pointed out the inevitable conclusion to this very bad plan.

"Now you have two options, judging by the rage in your eyes and the guilt in his your vengeance was justified. But justified or not it failed. Option one you could try again, though now they're on guard and I've bound your magic so you'd have to come at them the old fashioned way and you would likely die in the attempt. Or option two I could send you somewhere to heal and get better. The place I speak of is full of people like you and there is peace and understanding to be found there. Decide."

By now the old woman was crying her eyes out, the old healer was looking at him like he was trying to figure him out, the two women were just staring at everyone trying to figure out what would happen next, and the two knights were looking at him like he'd overstepped his place and should have known better. Oh well, everyone deserved peace and he would always offer it to those in need of it. He just hoped she would take it.

"This place you speak of is it nice there?"

"Very nice, would you like to see it?"

"Yes."

Her answer was barely above a whisper like she was afraid the offer would be snatched away. Without a word he waved a hand and she was transported away in a flurry of lights back to Haven to find her peace.

Looking back to the others in the clearing he found equal looks of shock and outrage. He shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and rocked back slightly ready for round two.


End file.
